Railroad tank car



Feb. 1952 G. w. PATCH, JR., EIAL 2,587,204

RAILROAD TANK CAR 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed May 21, 1946 J m 3% wfl W T If T as A RE O M cum 1 MM mm Q N Feb. 26, 1952 w, PATCH, JR., EI'AL 2,587,204

RAILROAD TANK CAR Filed May 21, 1946 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 INVENTOR GEORGE W.P,4 TCH,

JAMES G. VAN VLEET BY o. f ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 26, I952 T258120; mmnrcom TANK-"fem ii4lclaims. ((319)105- 357) This invention relates to railroadtanls carsiior transporting liquefied gases having boiling points zatiatmospheric' pressure' below 133 "axid -more p t y to an improved zconstruetion of 12a, ,g'cdouble walled tank ear for transporting-liquefied gases su'chsas liquid -oxygen and 'liquid nitrogen --and :.inuwhichxaa'space 'between L-the inner vessel T rand:out'er shell'v is filled with a powderd insulat s-lngatmaterial and, =preferably alsosevacuatd 'lzof ...air.

been constructed aand:rusedx.consistedf ofizan inner vessel surrounded tby man outer-.ishell ":withflthe intervening 1S1) ace filled with 1- powdered V and evacuatedeto a; VQIYE"1OVW.D18SS11I8.

@Tank cars for tzthe 2 storage :and shipping so: liquefied: gases such; as fliquid oxygemwhioh'have scars; the' inner vessel'wazs'supportedrbm: rodsiff-rom all-frame members, and bothi' the fiinnerwesselaand. v 'outerv shell-were; rsupportedrdireotlw oven-auxiliary 2n bolsters on thefcarA-frame';which auxiliantbolsters s-were locatedinwardly.ofithemaimbolsters. .imh'ese tank cars 1 were: alsoprovided -with i-.end'-thrust rods; and: sideesway-r rods anchoredavbetween zizhe .innervessel-:andr outers'shell;tofenable thesimier vessel to resist projectile action when vthejccar-was acceleratedrand:to-prevent side-swawof the'inner' vessel. 1 The outer-diameter -of rtheashellwzaridzrits length are limited according-torstandard'railroad car width and length.

."An'increase; of rtheliliquid;';holding: capacity; of

atank:'car is verylfavorablelto shippingscosts, 1 therefore? a principal object. oflthe; inventionsis to-provide a construction -thati;permits aii larger "liquiw'hblding capacity" While 15111 ....l10vvinglthe vessel to be: mounted" within a standard .box.-car and without a reduction of thellinsiilaitionu 'ffi ciency. "Further" obj ects of" the "invention a are'i to provide" an improved tankicar- :construe'tionifor liquefied-j;gases'whibheliminatestheixusesofzaux 'iliarybolsters and thus" reduces "the wei'ghtiofsithe,

in whichthe "main 'weihtiiofthe entire vessel taken with the accompanylngidrawings;:irn'vvhicli" Fig. 1- is an eleva'tionar view iof'atamexemplary tank 3 ear' without"external housing aandi mm 651- sing: featuresirofistheiiinvention withi" parts:- broken away toi showx-edetailsithereof;

Fig: 2 31's "an' endz'view' of the" tankicar" of; Fig." 1 with-portions broken out;

v E'ign3 'isz a view ofsza 'fragmentaryrsection taken along the: line 51-3 3: of Fig. 2; c a d Fig.1: kiss a; fragmentary: sectional view of: one

" ufpthedoad rod; supports l6.

Referring:- to athe drawing, the-=.tan1::'-Lcar acompr if'sesan' inner-liquidholdingvessel 'l 0: mounted awithin aanv-externali'shell. I l in aimanner to pro- "vide an insulating space .I 2 completely-about. the

- iliquid vessel. I0. The-space: l2 is preferably. filled -withzr a finelyzdivided insulating" powder and; subjected s to -:a =vaouum''offiabout microns. JIhe sinner vessel 10 tissupportedvbytthe outer/shell ll 'in ca; -marmer21t0 load:therouterxishell' asi a beam and create bending. forces therein. The-supports I for the inner -zvessel comprise isaggirth -band :11 3

passing r zunder i the liquid "vesself'tand =suspended on each side bv loadi rods: l4. Ihe loads rods are secured to s'blocks. I531 fastened .to v-the upper ends -of-;i the band A 3 rand: the rods, pass :upward 7 through? the :insulation. space l2 .and the outer shell I l.---=through compression tubes l6*whiclr;extend upwardlysfrom the outer shell: I I: and are seeureda gastightly .ther'eto. shown .in' Fig- 4, the upper ends or. the v compression tubes l 6; are provided iwithf -flatzsurfaces or flanges 26 :on which: lock-nuts I1 threaded :ontotherods M .bear. .The lock nuts lltare coveredi-brcaps l8 which I are ssecured to ;the Jflata :surfaces -of -the compression tubes :inka gastight manner. ""zR'einforeinsl-plates I 9 may :be welded to the "outer surface :or the shell I l around the compression tubes 1-6 'in order to-xdistr ibute the load. il The o uter-- shell 'a'iszaalso-:preferablyiiprovided'" with t-two stifieningringszfl"which are: close toland' straddle the load: rods -44. 'I-hese'z ringsiaarex' madef suflic-iently strong to prevent-ithe' vacuum-shell? from -deforming sunder -:-the' cornbined "effect "of the vaouumand the weight :of the liquid'vessel.

:JBheshell 1 his supported over thermainlbol'sters 2 I of the car frame F by- -box-like legs" 22' which therefore: transmitsthe' weight Offthe liquidi contamer, the: shell H, and-the insulatiomi-n the space 12 through the car floor 23 .directlystolthe 7 main bolsters;- 2 l .Stifiener: rings-- 24,;similar to ring'sllD,;--are= -we1ded;- to s-the; imrerysu'rfaceitofisthe shell I l directly eabove t-the legs 2.22 f to mrevent deformation of-tthesshellsunder i .thei-foree ofithe vacuum .andith'bending': loadto1=which= it iszsubjeetdilBoth si'dett-swaylzand vertical displacement of E the; inner "vessel VI 0 with respect: to thef'shell l Iills iprevented bysmeans of .four-:=side,-sway-v rods 25, two of which are disposed at each end of the vessel. The outer end of each rod 25 is retained as in Fig. 4 by lock nuts I! bearing on a surface 26 at the outer end of a short compression tube 21 secured at the head of the outer shell. The nuts are covered by caps 28 secured gastightly to the compression tubes. The inner ends of the sway rods 25 are secured to blocks 29 which are welded near the center of the head of the inner vessel. Since the rods 25 are dis posed substantially 45 downwardly from the horizontal, they control side-sway of the inner vessel as well as any tendency for vertical movement.

Longitudinal displacement of the inner vessel I relative to the outer shell H is controlled by impact rods 39 of which there are four disposed at each end. The outer end of each impact rod 30 has threaded thereon lock nuts 31 (Fig. 3) which bear on a fiat flange surface 32 mounted at the outer end of a compression tube 33. The nuts 3i are covered by.a cap 34 which is gastightly secured to the flange 32, The inner ends of the impact rods are secured to blocks 35 that are welded to the outer cylindrical surface of the inner vessel iii. The compression tubes 33 pass through the heads of the outer'shell H and are gastightly welded thereto. Each tube 33 extends inwardly a short distanceiandispositioned between two radially arranged 'stiifening ribs 36 which are shaped to fit inside of the head of the shell and extend from a ring 37 secured to the center'of the head to the outer one of stiffening rings 24. The ribs 36 are welded at their outer ends to the rings 24. The extension of the ribs 36 until they'butt against the outer stiffener ring 24 greatly increases thes'treng-th of each head and its ability to resist the'impacjt loads transferred thereto by the impact rods 30. The entire head construction can be made lighter and still have adequate strength. I "Relative movement between the shell H and the car frame is prevented by four shear plates 38 which have a" T-shaped cross-section, the

flanges of which are welded to the shell, and

may have connected thereto a safety pressure relief device and atmospheric venting means, and means for measuring or observing the height of liquid content in the vessel. The outer shell is usually provided with a means for evacuating the insulation space, for example, a vacuum pump connection, and with a man-hole having a sealing cover ll at the top of the shell for access to the interior and for filling the insulating space with insulating material.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated, it will be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied and practiced without departing from the principles or scope of the invention. Thus it is contemplated that the principles of the invention may be embodied in tank vehicles other than railroad tank cars such for example as road vehicles, particularly when vacuum type insulation is employed.

What is claimed is: e a. 1. In a-double-walled insulated tank vehicle including an elongated inner vessel for holding a liquefied gas, an outer shell surrounding and sp aced from said inner vessel to provide an intervening insulation space containing an insulating medium which provides substantially no support for the inner vessel, and a vehicle frame having main bolsters near each end; the combitnation therewith of shell supports secured .near each end to said outer shell and to said vehicle -frame substantially directly over said main'bolsters, said shell supports being constructed to prothe webs of which are secured to the floor 23 of the car by rivets 39. The floor plate 23 transmits the forces of endwise impact to the center sill 40 of the car. The shear plates 38 are prefferably positioned inwardly of the legs 22. The employment of the shell II as a beam for supporting the liquid vessel H) toallow supporting of the shell directly over the m'airi'bolsters of the car eliminates the need for special auxiliar'y bolsters and under-framing. Such auxiliary bolsters and under-framing represent considerable weight and cost. The load rods 36 are not parallel to the horizontal axis of the vessel but are inclined outwardly therefrom at an. angle which is preferably about 5.. The purpose of this angle is to control the direction of the resultant force transmitted through the block 35 to the wall of the vessel In so that there is no tendency to deform such wall. If the "rods 39 were parallel to the main axis there would be a tendency for the block 35 to tilt inwardly and deform the vessel wall. The tank car is also providedwith' auxiliary apparatus of the customary type which is not illustrated in the drawings since it forms no part of the present invention. For example, it is customary to provide; liquid withdrawal lines leading from the bottom. of the inner vessel and passing through the insulation space to a point ex.- ternal of the outer shell, a gas vent line which vide substantially the entire vertical support for said shell and contents; inner vessel suspension means anchored directly to upper portions of the wall of said outer shell at two spaced transverse planes located between said shell supports;

and reinforcing rings'for the shell at said planes, there being no connection between the outer shell and said vehicle frame at the region of said suspension means and reinforcing rings whereby the inner vessel is supported vertically solely from the outer shell. 7

2. In a double-walled insulated tank vehicle including an elongated inner vessel for holding a liquefied gas, an outer shell surrounding and spaced from said inner vessel to provideanintervening insulation space containing an insulating medium which provides substantially no support for the inner vessel, and a vehicle frame having. main bolsters near each end; the combination therewith of shell supports secured near each end to said outer shell and to' said vehicle frame substantially directly over said main bolsters, said shell supports being constructed to provide substantially the entire vertical support "for said shell and contents; inner vessel suspension means anchored directly to upper portions of the wall of said outer shell at two spaced transverse planes located between said shell supports; reinforcing rings for the shell at said planes; dished heads forming the ends of said shell; at least one reinforcing ring secured to the inside wall surface of the shell adjacent the shell supports near each head; reinforcing ribs radially disposed and secured to the inside wall. of each end head, said ribs extending to and-being welded to Said reinforcing rings; and endthrust rods for preventing relative endwise movement of the inner vessel, said rods being anchored at their inner ends to the side wall of said inner vessel and adjustably secured at theirouter ends to securing members in the end heads of said outer shell, said members being secured respectively adjacent said reinforcing ribs.

3. A double-walled insulated tank car according to claim 2 in which said end thrust rods are inclined outwardly with respect to the horizontal axis of the vessel at an angle of approximately 5 degrees to said axis.

4. In a double-walled insulated tank vehicle including an elongated inner vessel for holding a liquefied gas, an outer shell surrounding and spaced from said inner vessel to provide an intervening insulation space containing an insulating medium which provides substantially no support for the inner vessel, and a vehicle frame below the shell, said vehicle frame constituting the main under-frame of the vehicle exclusive of said shell, and being constructed to carry the weight of said shell and contents; the combination therewith of shell supports secured near each end to said outer shell and to said vehicle frame, said shell supports being constructed to provide substantially the entire vertical support for said shell and contents; two pairs of suspension members anchored directly to upper portions GEORGE W. PATCH, JR. JAMES G. VAN VLEET.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,769,490 Casey et al July 1, 1930 2,229,080 Zenner et a1 Jan. 21, 1941 

